TeamBondinghttps://www.teambonding.com
Team Building through the Power of PlayWed, 07 Dec 2016 21:10:00 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1https://www.teambonding.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/index.pngTeamBondinghttps://www.teambonding.com
3232Why Good Leaders Choose Team Buildinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/zhCPXTH-m_I/
https://www.teambonding.com/good-leaders-choose-team-building/#respondTue, 15 Nov 2016 19:20:16 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=19910Need to improve or spice up your same old leadership strategies at work? Why not make this tiresome training fun by incorporating team building? Leadership strategies can vary greatly depending on the situation, but they all can greatly impact the vision and the direction of growth within your company. Potential success lies in the hands […]

]]>Need to improve or spice up your same old leadership strategies at work? Why not make this tiresome training fun by incorporating team building?

Leadership strategies can vary greatly depending on the situation, but they all can greatly impact the vision and the direction of growth within your company. Potential success lies in the hands of your leaders. It’s important for those in leadership positions to have a clear vision for their teams, and having a strategic plan can play a big part in that. That being said, a strategic leadership plan would not be complete without involving team building. Your teams are your future; thus leaders must understand how team building can help build you a better future.

1. Create Motivation

Leaders not only need to feel motivated, but need to be prepared to motivate others. Nothing drives motivation in the work place better than your team having a clear understanding of their mission or vision. Being challenged, and the overall feeling of being a part of a successful and trusted team that comes with completing a challenge, increases motivation even further. Leaders who facilitate team building encourage all of this, plus give all those involved a chance to feel appreciated for their individual talents. What could be more empowering?

2. Build Better Communication

One of the most important things a leader can do is foster communication between members of their team. Whether it’s in the form of mediating a dispute, or making sure everyone’s voice is being heard, it’s important for a leader to make sure lines of communication are clear. Team building activities and games encourage discussion, friendly debates and opens the floor for ideas and contributions from the team to spill out. Everyone involved feels comfortable to speak out during these friendly activities, and there are so many to chose from!

3. Build Better Problem Solving Skills

Leaders often end up in the role of problem-solver. While this is an important skill for a leader to have, it’s also important to recognize and strengthen problem solving skills within your team. Team building allows the teams to search for possible solutions to a problem, make decisions, experiment with different course of actions and give each other helpful feedback. They quickly learn that to be successful as a team they must work together. These skills are easily transferable to any situation they find themselves in next!

4. Open up Social Gates

Strong leaders will recognize the roles that social bonds play in the effectiveness of a team. Simply put: people who like each other will work better together. Barriers are broken down and new trust walls are built. When you host a team building event, teams are able to learn about each other through the power of play. You want your teams to feel comfortable with each other and be able to learn from each other. Being able to socialize and appreciate your team is just as important as getting the work done is. The work will get done better by a team that has fun together!

5. Learn Strategic ways to Utilize your Teams Strengths

Team building allows each member to learn more about each other and themselves. A good team is made up of introverts, extroverts and many different personalities and strengths. Learning how to use this knowledge is another key to being a successful team leader. Different activities give teams a chance to strategically think, act or experiment with different options of how to accomplish goals. Leaders are able to utilize this time to figure out how to maximize strengths, that can be transferred to work related projects.

Through the power of play leaders can help create motivated teams, with better communication, that trust each other and are able to strategically problem solve and work together.

Why not lead our teams through play? Will you play for your future?

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/good-leaders-choose-team-building/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/good-leaders-choose-team-building/8 Tips for Concurring Small Business Saturdayhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/yGI_w-MC0CM/
https://www.teambonding.com/small-business-saturday/#respondTue, 08 Nov 2016 20:14:21 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=19857Nestled in between the consumer crush of Black Friday and the digital madness of Cyber Monday, lies the hidden gem of Small Business Saturday. Started in 2010, the idea behind this grassroots campaign is to shift focus during the Christmas rush away from big box stores and online shopping. Instead, this day aims to celebrate local […]

]]>Nestled in between the consumer crush of Black Friday and the digital madness of Cyber Monday, lies the hidden gem of Small Business Saturday. Started in 2010, the idea behind this grassroots campaign is to shift focus during the Christmas rush away from big box stores and online shopping. Instead, this day aims to celebrate local businesses in our communities, and keep our dollars closer to home.

For small businesses, this is an excellent way to kick off your holiday season and end your year on a high note. We’ve got some tips and tricks to help you make the most of your Small Business Saturday.

1. Offer a Deal

The best way to draw people to small businesses is to show them you can offer them something at a better value than the big guys. Run promotional on special items, or run a store-wide sale. Do you have an online shop? Consider cutting shipping costs for orders purchased on that day to appeal to a broader market.

2. Sidewalk Sale

This is a great way to score customers who don’t know you’re around or wouldn’t naturally come into your shop. Set up a table with a small selection of what you have to offer on the sidewalk outside your store, and have an employee outside to chat and engage with people. Even if customers aren’t interested in the items available outside, it’s a great opportunity to direct them inside to look at the rest of your products.

3. Get Social (Not Just Online)

Promoting yourself on social media during Small Business Saturday is definitely important. However, don’t forget to be social in person as well! Make sure you and your team are in your store and ready to engage with people. Be friendly and inviting, and talk to your customers outside of the regular sales pitch. You might even consider having some ice breaker thumb balls lying around, to start off conversations with new customers.

4. Launch Something New

Take this opportunity to launch a new product! Not only will you be able to capitalize on all of the small business buzz to help your launch succeed, but you’ll have a new talking point to engage with your customers. From the customer’s point of view, rolling out a new item on Small Business Saturday makes it feel a little more special.

5. Plan an In-Store Event

Running an event in your store is another great way to get people to come and engage with what you have to offer. Having child-friendly activities for families to do together is a great way to set yourself apart from other businesses. Enhance your sense of community by inviting your guests to celebrate your city by helping decorate a mural!

6. Celebrate Your Regulars

Take this opportunity to say thank you to the people who keep your business going all year round. Consider offering a promo code to anyone who comes in more than once in the week leading up to Small Business Saturday. Not only will it encourage people to come in on that particular day, it will make them feel appreciated for the rest of the time they give you.

7. Sell Less, Share More

This applies to social media in addition to in-store conversation. Rather than highlighting your products, share the experiences your customers are having. Allow people to try products in the store, let them play around a little. Post pictures of your in-store events to social media, and allow other people to see your products in action.

8. Partner Up!

Small Business Saturday is also a great opportunity for the little guys to band together! If you run a small boutique, consider asking a local coffee shop if they want to partner up. You sell some items in their store, they sell refreshments in yours! Find like-minded businesses in different markets and see what you can come up with together. Costumers looking to support their local communities will love this interconnectedness.

Do you have any Small Business Saturday success stories? Share them with us!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/small-business-saturday/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/small-business-saturday/Keep Your InternSHIPS From Sinkinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/L2jEekjmERE/
https://www.teambonding.com/keep-your-internships-from-sinking/#respondThu, 27 Oct 2016 16:46:59 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=19647Tips For Onboarding Students Internships can deliver a lot of value for students and companies. Running an internship program may just feel like extra work, but (like any investment) the rate of return for employers and for students is rooted in what you put into the program. Interns bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to […]

Internships can deliver a lot of value for students and companies. Running an internship program may just feel like extra work, but (like any investment) the rate of return for employers and for students is rooted in what you put into the program.

Interns bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to the table. They also provide more (once trained) hours to get things done. In return, interns gain hands-on knowledge for specific work tasks and an in-depth experience with workplace culture. Much like with any new employee that joins your team, intern orientation is key.

Don’t botch the kickoff! Supercharge your team.

College students want to know that they’ve chosen a valuable place to spend their school break – one that is fun, engaging and invested in them. Intern orientation events help provide context and welcome your interns to the team with a boost of energy that will leave a lasting impression. Remember, some of your interns may turn into long-term team members.

Don’t just break the ice, immerse them in your workplace atmosphere on day one. Large and small groups of interns benefit from team building programs. Team building events introduce interns to your company culture. If your organization is focused on social issues, consider a charitable event or local volunteering opportunities. Host a culinary event to appeal to foodies or kick off a tailored high tech program to highlight other company themes.

Training is an important part of intern orientation; however, an engaging overall introduction to your company, team and goals is just as vital. Team building programs provide a foundation for collaboration and communication. Students learn how their role impacts the team and organization as a whole.

Keep your team engaged.

Now that your team of interns is energized and engaged, keep the momentum going and they’ll stay productive. Even with differences among individuals, the most accomplished teams have many of the same characteristics: they know each other well; they understand each other; they enjoy working together.

Universum, a global research and advisory firm, asked 65,679 undergraduates in the U.S. to identify benefits they’d most like their internship employer to offer. After full-time employment, what students want most from their internships is job orientation and training (42%), followed by a good employer reference (29%). Rounding out the top five are challenging assignments (20%) and flexible working conditions (19%).

There are many other ways to keep students motivated and productive after intern orientation:

Do you have any tips for kicking off and managing internship programs? Please share!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/keep-your-internships-from-sinking/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/keep-your-internships-from-sinking/Games To Play as a Team: MAFIAhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/G24KZ4j-aD0/
https://www.teambonding.com/games-to-play-as-a-team-mafia/#respondThu, 20 Oct 2016 16:56:28 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=19383Ice breakers and puzzle games have their place, but sometimes you just want to get together as a group, and play. Here at TeamBonding, encouraging play is what we’re all about! When you play as a team, you develop and strengthen social bonds, which makes working together a more rewarding experience all around. With this in mind, […]

]]>Ice breakers and puzzle games have their place, but sometimes you just want to get together as a group, and play. Here at TeamBonding, encouraging play is what we’re all about! When you play as a team, you develop and strengthen social bonds, which makes working together a more rewarding experience all around. With this in mind, we’re excited to share a free game for you to play with your team the next time you need to relax and have some fun.

Introducing: MAFIA

Have you ever been to one of our murder mystery dinner shows? How about experiencing one of our live-action adventures? Well, this game recalls the fun of interactive participation in a mystery or adventure hunt, without leaving the office. Set in a Godfather-esque mob town, the object of this game is to catch the mafia hit man offing towns people, before everyone else ends up sleeping with the fishes.

This game needs at least eight people, but it’s more fun when there’s more people playing, so gather everyone together and play as a team! This game can be played in a conference room, open concept office space or break room. The only requirement is that there is enough space that players can keep their cards hidden from each other.

So what’s the game?

This game takes place during two stages, “day” and “night.” At the start of the game, The Godfather is selected. The Godfather acts as the narrator of the story, painting mental pictures for the players and keeping track of everyone’sroles. Once a Godfather is selected, they tell the townspeople to “go to sleep,” at which point all other players must close their eyes. The Godfather then hands out player cards, which will assign the different character rolls. A Hit Man, a Doctor and a Detective are assigned, while everyone else are given townsfolk cards

Over the course of the game, it’s the job of the Hit Man to try and “kill” all the other players, the job of the Doctor to try to save them, and the job of the Detective to try to root out the Hit Man. This download also includes some other special character cards, who can be added to the mix for bigger groups. The game ends when the Hit Man is killed, or the rest of the townspeople are dead. The game can go fairly rapidly, so consider playing more than once, allowing multiple people to take on the roles of Hit Man, Doctor, and Detective.

Get playing

This download includes everything you need to get playing right away. In it you’ll find a more detailed overview of the game, and instructions for all of the different character types. It also includes player cards, one sheet of special characters and one sheet of townsfolk cards. Just print the townsfolk sheet as many times as you need so everyone can have a card. (We recommend printing on heavier paper if you have it, so players can’t see through the backs of other people’s cards.)

Once your cards are cut up and everyone’s read the instructions, you’re ready to play as a team. Have fun with this game, it can get wacky and ridiculous, and can be memorable for everyone involved!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/games-to-play-as-a-team-mafia/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/games-to-play-as-a-team-mafia/Competition Drives Ushttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/5vw2HlVF_gM/
https://www.teambonding.com/competition-drives-us/#respondThu, 13 Oct 2016 20:32:47 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=19363They say there’s nothing like a little friendly competition to bring people together. After over 20 years of creating, hosting, and experiencing team building activities, we have proof to back that up. People love a little friendly competition, so much so that most of our programs feature some competative elements. Competition drives us to do better Competition […]

]]>They say there’s nothing like a little friendly competition to bring people together. After over 20 years of creating, hosting, and experiencing team building activities, we have proof to back that up. People love a little friendly competition, so much so that most of our programs feature some competative elements.

Competition drives us to do better

Competition works as a motivator because it pushes us to exceed. Not only are we driven to exceed our own capabilities, but also those of our teammates and coworkers as well. Friendly competition in a relaxed setting, like a scavenger hunt or a card game, encourages people to work together and to spent time together, creating social bonds which strength teamwork. Taking it a step further, competition fosters cooperation, which is the backbone of good teamwork.

“Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Now it’s easy to imagine the dark side of too much competition. Sore losers can easily spoil the fun, while overzealous winners can just as easily ruin a good thing. How do you keep the games friendly well still encouraging people to compete with each other? Well, that’s one of the secrets we’ve perfected over the years. While all of our programs feature some kind of contests, our gameshow programs are structured around they idea that competition brings out the best in teams. Our facilitators are specially trained to keep the games friendly and exciting. They’ll make sure bragging winners or sore losers won’t spoil the event for anyone.

Our gameshow program list is expanding rapidly, with two new programs being added in the last month. Our clients love the friend competitive edge to these programs, a couple of which also feature a charity element.

These gameshow programs are an excellent way to encourage friendly competition among your team. Most are based on TV shows or games the everyone is familiar with, which is a fun way to feel like you’re experiencing something special. Our facilitators are experts on making the most out of competitive energy, without letting it run wild. Learn more about what competition can do for you today!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/competition-drives-us/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/competition-drives-us/Team Vampires – How to Stop the Bite of Negativity At Workhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/PTeqhvo-HaI/
https://www.teambonding.com/team-vampires-how-to-stop-the-bite-of-negative-team-members/#respondFri, 16 Sep 2016 03:13:16 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=1004Halloween is just around the corner. My daughters are picking out their ghoulish costumes … one a princess and the other a dead bride (gulp). Seems as kids get older the scarier their costumes get, my princess is 5 and my bride is 10. By the time kids become adults they can get even scarier […]

]]>Halloween is just around the corner. My daughters are picking out their ghoulish costumes … one a princess and the other a dead bride (gulp). Seems as kids get older the scarier their costumes get, my princess is 5 and my bride is 10. By the time kids become adults they can get even scarier — some even become Vampires, and they wear their costume to work, everyday.

The changing season got me thinking about how to deal with negativity at work and stop the bite of Team Vampires.

If you are like me, you probably remember playing pickup games like street hockey or basketball as a kid. All the kids would line up and two “captains” would pick teams. The rest of the kids would stand in a line and hope to not be picked last. But, no matter how you picked the teams, there was always someone picked last.

Teams in the corporate world can take a very similar approach to “pickin’ teams.” Teams at work typically form in two different ways:

(1) You Choose Your Team Members

There is a limited pool of people to choose from. You have to choose from that pool, get your choices approved by their manager – the best ones are the busiest and will not be able to give your project full attention. You often choose the ones you like best or the ones you work with best. If you are really lucky, you get to work with someone who has the skills you need. But, there is always someone who wants to work on any given project that doesn’t get chosen and tension arises in the workplace.

(2) You Inherit Your Team Members

Your manager provides you with a list of people who are on your team or you join a team that has been in existence for awhile (i.e., OHS) where certain staff go to “hide,” because everyone has to be on a committee and they want to do as little work as possible. Maybe someone retired, quit, or staff was reorganized.

In both cases, there can be great teams that are a pleasure to work with all the time… right?

No matter how your team came together, getting and keeping people engaged is vital. When people feel threatened or devalued from being picked last, or disgruntled about the job – they can hurt a team. The apex of this is I call a Team Vampires, and as I’m sure you guessed they can be a bit harder to engage.

No matter which way you cut it, transitions are really tough time for teams. All teams go through developmental phases. Tuckman calls it “Storming,” and in some cases teams get stuck in this stage and it becomes “Tornadoing.” Find and engage an expert team facilitator to help your group renew itself and stop the storm. Only they can get you get back to work.

Teams form in different ways. Sometimes it’s about making due with what you have. But, it shouldn’t hurt to lead a team. Take the difficult first step to inspire changes and differences in Team Vampires so that everyone can get back to work. Your difficult, uncomfortable, and strong leadership move will have great ROI – but it could be one of the hardest times of your career. Let us know if we can help.

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/team-vampires-how-to-stop-the-bite-of-negative-team-members/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/team-vampires-how-to-stop-the-bite-of-negative-team-members/Give Back To Schoolshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/51Zk8d9TETU/
https://www.teambonding.com/give-back-to-schools/#respondFri, 09 Sep 2016 17:02:30 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=19225Giving back to our communities makes you feel good, assists in making you more socially aware and helps you bond with your colleagues as you team up to help those in need. Charity is beneficial for both humanity and business for many reasons. When you participate in Corporate Social Responsibility team building activities, you get the best of both worlds. Head […]

]]>Giving back to our communities makes you feel good, assists in making you more socially aware and helps you bond with your colleagues as you team up to help those in need. Charity is beneficial for both humanity and business for many reasons. When you participate in Corporate Social Responsibility team building activities, you get the best of both worlds.

Head Back to School

With the Back to School season now upon us, what better time to focus on giving back to schools?! If you are looking for a fun, interactive and productive way to bring your team closer together AND work towards the greater good of building up your local community, then have we got the event for you!

This particular event works well for any group size (12-250+). It’s great for your company picnic, community service days or even the company holiday party.

Get Hands On

This hands-on team building event challenges your teams to fill a backpack with the supplies such as notebooks, pencil, erasers, etc. Do you want to know the best part about this event? It’s not just as simple as “filling the backpacks”.

Each team needs to earn their items through creative mental (think quizzes) and physical team challenges (fun games) that require teamwork, communication and a willingness to roll up their sleeves and get involved. With so many different ways to have fun and earn supplies for the backpacks for the kids, there is something for everyone on every team to do!

Give Back

Consider this, by giving your employees the opportunity to participate on one of these programs, you are encouraging them to give back to the community. Research suggests that participating in volunteer activities outside of the office can help employees recover from work and come back energized. Contact us today to set up your event!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/give-back-to-schools/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/give-back-to-schools/Charity Bike Build: Ten Years Laterhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/mzdF7XKpTJw/
https://www.teambonding.com/charity-bike-build-ten-years-later/#respondTue, 30 Aug 2016 16:10:20 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=19165Imagine if you will, that it’s 2006 again. The housing bubble has just burst, and the US economy is teetering on the brink of what will end up being the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression. People are scared for the futures of their companies, and are cutting corners at every possible turn. No […]

]]>Imagine if you will, that it’s 2006 again. The housing bubble has just burst, and the US economy is teetering on the brink of what will end up being the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression. People are scared for the futures of their companies, and are cutting corners at every possible turn. No one is very eager to spend money on team building.

Then we have an idea: what if you’re not just spending your money on team building? What if you’re spending your money to give back to your community, to the children of your neighbors and friends? What if we create a kind of team building event that focuses on CSR and giving back? Thus Charity Bike Build was born.

Since then, the Bike Build program has become the most popular team building exercise we offer. We’ve hosted over 600 Charity Bike Builds, working with many different companies like Nestle, Verison and Starbucks. With your help we’ve donated over 15,000 bikes, and that number is still growing. The participants of this program have a real impact on the lives of children in their communities.

Beyond the charitable impact, this program has had lasting impacts on hundreds of teams over the last ten years. In addition to the sense of group accomplishment from having made a difference, the program itself exercises several important aspects of teamwork. This program enforces communication skills, strengthens problem solving, and helps teams identify strengths and weaknesses within their structure.

But time and time again, we hear from you that the most rewarding part of the program is getting to see the kids receive their bikes. This aspect of the program takes the work and fun and laughter everyone shared, and changes the outcome from something abstract to something concrete. People get to see the good they’re doing, and the experience of that is unparalleled.

“I just wanted to thank you for your assistance with the Charity Bike Build. The build went off without a hitch, the teams were really into the competition not knowing that the kids would be showing up later in the day. Once the kids arrived, it was just awesome and our folks loved it.” K.M. – TJX

We’re thrilled with how much this program has grown, and we hope it will continue to do so in the future. Thanks to you, our TeamBonding participants, we’ve been able to grow this program from a hopefully idea to a successful team building adventure. Thank you!

Keep on building!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/charity-bike-build-ten-years-later/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/charity-bike-build-ten-years-later/Psychology of Teamwork: Team Buildinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/vtpfaVnIkOs/
https://www.teambonding.com/psychology-teamwork-team-life-cycle/#respondThu, 25 Aug 2016 13:55:46 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=18975So by now we understand what makes a group, how interpersonal relationships work, and the ways different leadership styles affect groups. But how can team building exercises help improve these components of teamwork? The final step in this journey of understanding the psychology of teamwork is figuring out what takes task groups from being a loose […]

]]>So by now we understand what makes a group, how interpersonal relationships work, and the ways different leadership styles affect groups. But how can team building exercises help improve these components of teamwork? The final step in this journey of understanding the psychology of teamwork is figuring out what takes task groups from being a loose collection of coworkers to a strong and effective team. Let’s first look at the life cycle of a team.

The concept of a team “life cycle” has been around since the 1950s, and has become somewhat standardized into 5 separate stages. These stages of the formation of a team are as follows: forming, storming, norming, performing, and transforming.2

Forming is a pretty easy stage to understand. Teams come together at this stage and begin to figure out how they fit into the group. During this stage it’s important for those in leadership positions to encourage team members to get to know each other. Ice breaker games, or other methods of cultivating familiarity between colleagues will be especially effective at this stage.

The next phase, storming, is when conflict tends to arise within a team. Team members are beginning to get comfortable with their roles in the team, and may begin to push back in one way or another. There may also be personality conflicts between team members that will arise at this stage. MBTI training or opening paths of communication may help significantly at this juncture.

Storming can overlap with the next phase in the cycle, norming1. During the norming stage, teams begin to hit their stride. Team members may begin to explore social connections outside of the professional environment. It’s not unusual, however, for a new conflict to arise that brings the team back into the storming phase. This stage is an ideal time to encourage socialization with a teambuilding activity like a scavenger hunt or other interactive entertainment. Teams will benefit from the strengthening of the social bonds already in progress, as well as practicing communication in a more relaxed environment.

The performing stage is when everything within the team is working exactly as needed. Team members are working well together, and everyone clearly understands their roles and are working towards the team’s goals with efficiency and enthusiasm. Interpersonal relationships between the team members are strong, and everyone is comfortable with the role of their team leader. During this stage, teams can still benefit from having their bonds reinforced, which makes it a perfect opportunity to give back to their communities. Doing charity work together will help reinforce the feelings of camaraderie and good will among the team members.

The final stage, transforming, can occur for several different reasons. For example, a team may complete a task or reach a goal they have been working towards. This can require changes in roles within the team, or perhaps the transformation of the team into something all together different. Some teams dissolve at this stage, while others reorganize and begin working on a different project. Another thing that can prompt the transforming stage within a group are changes within the make up of the group. Team members may leave or join, changing rolls within the group. The shift in group dynamics may be dramatic enough to push a team back to the forming stage, at which time the cycle starts over again.

Understanding these different stages of the life cycle of a team can help us understand why team building experiences are as effective as they are. Studies have been done on the subject, and the findings all point towards the effectiveness of team building.

“Our findings are encouraging—team building improves team outcomes; that these team-development interventions are beneficial to team functioning is the good news.”3

This study also stresses the importance of understanding exactly what kind of team building a team needs, as certain styles may be more effective based on the desired outcome.

Luckily, here at TeamBonding, we are happy to help potential clients address their specific needs to achieve a desired outcome. We truly believe that team building is the key to a successful, well performing workplace. Contact one of our sales reps to learn more about how we can help you succeed in the future!

]]>https://www.teambonding.com/psychology-teamwork-team-life-cycle/feed/0https://www.teambonding.com/psychology-teamwork-team-life-cycle/Psychology of Teamwork: Leadership Styleshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/team-building/~3/h4q5HNDrASk/
https://www.teambonding.com/psychology-of-teamwork-leadership-styles/#respondThu, 11 Aug 2016 14:32:38 +0000https://www.teambonding.com/?p=18921The role of the leader is one of the most important roles within a group. The effectiveness of a leader can have great impact on the success or failure of a team as a whole, and while leadership styles don’t necessary dictate a group’s success, one of the most important functions of leadership is to make sure […]

]]>The role of the leader is one of the most important roles within a group. The effectiveness of a leader can have great impact on the success or failure of a team as a whole, and while leadership styles don’t necessary dictate a group’s success, one of the most important functions of leadership is to make sure avenues of communication are clear between all members of a team.

There are several different approaches to leadership. Leadership styles are constantly evolving, and there is a lot of debate over which form of leadership is the most effective. Often it comes down to the particular setting or environment, but there are some common threads which follow through all of the leadership styles.

The style of leadership that most people think of automatically is one in which a single person is in a position of authority over all members of their team, and has equal authority over them. This style of leadership is called Average Leadership Style, or ALS.1 It requires the leader to be able to communicate equally with all members of the team, and to treat them all the same. This is where the “Average” in ALS comes into play. Any one member of the team should be able to be selected to represent an average team member, with equal communication and responsibility. While this style of leadership can be extremely effective while working in small groups, when applied to large teams or whole companies, it can become challenging.

ALS is a style of leadership that where the primary focus of the exchange is focused on the leader, and their actions and needs within the group dynamic. Many of the more modern styles of leadership move away from this kind of dynamic, and focus either on the actions and needs of the group members, or on the relationship between leader and group members.

Leader Member Exchange (LMX) is one of these alternate styles of leadership. As you might guess from it’s name, the focus of LMX is on the relationship between leaders and members.2 The relationship between both parties in an LMX model should be unique from individual to individual, rather than uniform across the entire group as in ALS. Again, this style of leadership becomes more complex the larger the group, and often requires intermediary steps, rather than one leader being responsible for a complex relationship with an entire company.

If you remember our post on group dynamics where we discussed different kinds of group set ups, these different styles of leadership should slot pretty well into the different group dynamics. Groups that function in reciprocal interdependence, as in all group members rely on each other equally, are much more likely to benefit from LMX than they are from ALS.

Stepping even further away from traditional leadership rolls, we encounter Complex Leadership Theory (CLT). While most leadership theories focuses on the actions and relationships of individual leaders, CLT is concerned more with dynamics of leadership3. Rather than focusing solely on hierarchical leadership, as in the managerial structure that is built into a work place, it focuses more on places leadership exists organically within organization.

This kind of leadership ship becomes most obvious typically in periods of change. It’s the ability to adapt, and to help others to adapt, that most clearly distinguishes a leader within CLT. “Adaptive challenges are problems that require new learning, innovation, and new patterns of behavior. They are different from technical problems, which can be solved with knowledge and procedures already in hand.”3 Group members who are able to react quickly to change and assist others represent a kind of organic leadership that can’t be accounted for in administrative hierarchy, and therefore can’t be addressed in any of the other leadership theories.

Regardless of the style of leadership being practiced, the ability to foster communication is a very important part of leadership. In ALS, it’s imperative that all group members receive clear direction and equal paths of communication. In LMX, the relationship between leader and member is entirely dependent on a clear exchange between both parties. CLT states that leadership develops and thrives most in situation where avenues of communication are clear, and group members are able to help each other.

The question then becomes, what is it that makes these lines of communication strong? Is it just the strength of the interpersonal relationships, and their emotional carrying capacity? What, ultimately, is it that makes a team work well together? Continue on for the final post in this series, and learn about how affective team building can improve these core aspects of teamwork.